Drip return sirup pitcher



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Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES NT OFFICE DRIP RETURN SIRUP PITCHERPrisk Paddock, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,513

(Cl. S-31) 4 Claims. l

This invention relates to closures for jars and jugs, such as areemployed on syrup jugs.

Heretofore, there has been developed and placed on the market a closureapplicable to the mouth of a syrup jug wherein there is a pouring spoutand a reciprocable blade is mounted on the closure arranged to open andclose the pouring spout. The blade employed is arranged in shearingrelationship with the edge of the spout and when shifted into closingposition the intention of the blade is to not only close the spout butto shear or wipe off syrup on the edges of the spout to avoid drip. Itis found, however, that although the blades are made of very thin,flexible metal that the blade, when closing the spout, tends to pushsome of the syrup over the edge of the spout so that regardless of theintended function of the blade there usually is a small amount of syrupthat drips over the edge of the spout.

An object of the present invention is to provide a drip collector andreturn device which is so arranged as to collect the drip from the edgeof the spout and return it to the jar or jug. The collecting means is soarranged as to also be covered by the blade so that the collected dripwhich is returned to the jug will not become contaminated either by dustor by insects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a type of accessory thatcan be easily installed and combined with the conventional closure abovereferred to and which will not only provide a pouring spout for theclosure but will cause a portion of the spout on the present closure toserve as a drip collector and return the collected drips to the jar orjug.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a jar or jug illustrating a closurethereon embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 3-3upon Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1, a portion of the blade beingillustrated as having been removed or broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 5 5upon Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, J indicates a jar or jugdesigned to contain syrup or other relative viscous liquid. Usually jarsor jugs of this character are equipped with threads It adjacent theirmouth for the application thereto of a closure. The closure is shown ashaving been applied to the jar J and consists of a cap H having adownwardly extending ange l2 which is threaded complementary to thethreads I0 on the jar. This cap has an opening i3 formed therein, theouter side of which is formed to conform generally to a pouring spoutIrl. A thin, flexible sheet metal blade i5 is mounted for reciprocationon the top of the cap I i between opposed lugs i6. This blade isapertured as at il to receive a pin i8 on a thumb actuated crank I9 thatis pivoted as at 2t on the opposite side of the cap from the spout ld.The thumb actuated crank is also located above the handle 2i and has athumb engageable handle 22. A torsion spring 23 urges the crank into aposition wherein the blade l5 is in its forwardmost position extendingover the tcp of the spout Ill.

The device embodying the present invention and which may be used toconvert the conventional type of cap above described into a closureincorporating a drip return consists of a circular plate 2d of adiameter substantially equal to the diameter across the top of the jarJ. This plate is adapted to be positioned on a gasket 25 that normallyis interposed directly between the jar and a shoulder on the interior ofthe cap. The plate 2i is intended to occupy a position between thegasket and the shoulder. On one side of the plate there is an upstandingtube or nipple 2t that is so positioned that it will be spaced from theforward side of the spout M, the intervening space being indicated at21. The top edge of the nipple 2S is rebated at the rear to form a`lower semi-circular edge 28 designed to t against the underside of thecap Il. The upper sez/nicircular edge 29 extends a distance higher thanthe edge 2t equivalent to the thickness of the cap l l so that this edgeof the nipple will be disposed. in shearing relationship with thereciprocable blade l5. Diametrically opposite the nipple En an openingor passage 30 is formed in the plate but aside from this opening and theopening in the plate in the bottom of the nipple the plate is otherwiseimperforate.

In pouring syrup or other liquid from the jar or jug J the handle 22 isdepressed by the thumb to cause the crank i9 to retract the blade l5,thus opening not only the top of the space 2l but the newly formedpouring spout that is provided by 'the nipple 26. The syrup or otherliquid can then be discharged through the spout 26 on tipping the jug.When the desired quantity of syrup has been poured on release of thehandle 22 the torsion spring 23 will serve to return the crank I9, andconsequently, the blade l to its closing position overlying the top ofnipple 26 as well as the top of the space 21. In so doing, the forwardedge of the blade will pass over the edge 29 and will effectively closethe top of the spout formed by the nipple. Howevergas above explainedeven though the blade I5 is very `thin a small amount of syrup isusually pushed forward by the foi:- ward edge of the blade from the edge28. This syrup or drip will, of course, trickle down the forward side ofthe spout. However, when the device embodying the present invention isused the drip on the forward side of the spoutis not. left exposed as inthe case of the conventional closure. The space 21 functions as a dripcol'- lector and the drip is collected and flows down onto the plate 2lifrom which they may be returned to the jar J- th-rough the opening S8.It will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that when the blade itmoves forwardly that it nrst has its under side near its forward edgeeffectively wiped clean by the edge 2%. Consequently', even though thisedge may extend over the forward edge of the spout l there is no dripfromV the blade over the forward side of the spout lll. Even thoughthere might be some syrup adhere to the under side of the blade over thespace 2l the capillary attraction or nieniscus will tend to draw suchremaining syrup onto the walls of the space 21. To this end the top edgeof the spout M is preferably notched or recessed slightly, as indicatedat 3l, and is preferably beveled so that any drip that should tend todescend on the forward side of 'the spout i2 will be drawn back by thecapillary attraction or cohesion with liquid descending on the sidewalls of the spout Ill.

I nd that even though the jar or jug J is practically full of syrup ontipping the jug to pour from the spout provided by the nipple 2t thereis no tendency for the syrup to flow reversely through the opening @ilbut that instead the incoming lair through the opening 3d will preventegress of syrup in this manner.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that theimproved closure is highly advantageous in that all of the advantages ofa shearing blade passing over the pouring spout are retained and inaddition provision is made for collecting the drip from the forward sideof the spout and returning it to the jug. Furthermore, as the bladeextends not only over the spout provide-:l by the nipple 25, but overthe collecting space 21 the collected drip is effectively protectedagainst contamination. inasmuch as the spout provided by the nipple 26is on a separate plate 23 that can be interposed between the closure andthe jar the conventional type of closure can be readily converted to aconstruction possessing these advantages. In making the conversion thenew pouring spout provided by the nipple occupies a portion of theoriginal spout on the closure.

While the improved construction has been primarily designed for use inconjunction with a jar closure having a blade l5, the presence of such ablade is not essential. The closure may be made with a constantly openspout afforded by the nipple 25 through which the contents of the jarcan be poured across the top of the collecting space 21.` When thepouring is discontinued any drip over the forward side of the nipple 26will be collected in the collecting space 4 21 and ultimately returnedto the jar through the opening 30.

Various changes may be made in the details of --the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure for jars, jugs, and the like comprising a cap applicable tothe mouth of a jar o1' jug, a blade reoiprocable thereon, means forreciprocating the blade, there being an opening in the cap arranged to.be traversed by the blade, a plate beneath the cap, a spout on theplate occupying the rear portion of the opening and presentingY an edgein shearing relationship with the blade, said plate having a passagetherethrough remote from the pouring spout, the space between the spoutand the forward side of the opening providing a collecting means fordrips from the spout which may flow on the plate to the passage and bereturned therethrough to the jug.

2. A jar or jug having a closure applied thereto, a pouring spoutopening in the forward portion of the closure, a reciprocabl'e blade onthe closure movable over the opening to open and close it, means on theclosure for reciprocating the blade, a plate beneath the closure havingan opening in the forward portion thereof and' a second opening remotetherefrom, and a spout secured to the plate about the forward openingtherein extending upwardly therefrom to the rear portion of the pouringspout opening and disposed in spaced relation to the forward edgethereof, the space between the forward side of the spout and the forwardedge of the pouring spout opening providing a collecting means for dripsfrom the spout which drips may flow on the plate to the remote openingand be returned therethrough to the jar or jug.

3. A jar or jug closure having side Walls and a top wall, a pouringspout opening in the forward portion of the top wall, a bladereciprocably mounted on the top wall adapted to cover and to open saidopening, means on the closure for reciprocating the blade, a platebeneath the closure in spaced relation to the top wall thereof, a spouton the plate surrounding an opening in the forward portion thereofextending upwardly to the top wall in spaced relation to the forwardside wall of the closure whereby the space between the spout and theforward side wall may serve to collect drips from the spout, therevbeing an opening in the plate remote from the spout through whichcollected drips may flow back into the jar or jug.

4. A jar or jug closure having side walls and a top wall, a pouringspout opening in the forward portion of the top wall, a bladereciprocably mounted on the top wall adapted to cover and to open saidopening, means on the closure for reciprocating the blade, a platebeneath the closure in spaced relation to the top wall thereof a spouton the plate surrounding an opening in the forward portion thereofextending upwardly to the top wall in spaced relation to the forwardside wall of the closure whereby the space between the spout and theforward side wall may serve to collect drips from the spout, there beingan opening in the plate remote from the spout through which collecteddrips may flow back into the jar or jug, the top of the spout presentinga forward edge in shearing relationship to the blade.

(References on following page) References Cited n the le of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Skinner Nov. 9, 1869 5 Boyd Jan.21, 1873 Bulluss, Jr. July 18, 1882 Laurnaster June 26, 1883 Muller Apr.16, 1889 Brown Dee. 22, 1896 10 Number

